Holding Out for a Hero
by trs0010
Summary: Sequel to Wounds Heal, Scars Remain. It's been eight years since the Joker wrecked up Gotham and wrecked up Cassidy Williams' life. Moving on wasn't as simple as she thought. With Bruce coming out of retirement, a masked villain turning Gotham into anarchy, and a hot headed cop that just can't take no for answer Cassidy can never catch a break and neither can her heart.
1. Coming Soon

**Hello my readers! For all those Wounds Heal, Scars Remain and Cassidy Williams fans, get excited because the sequel is currently in works! I can't give a solid timeline, but I would like to think full chapters will be uploaded regularly starting in the Fall. Until then, I have written a teaser chapter of sorts! It contains bits of dialogue from some of the major scenes I am planning on writing. Of course, all of this is subject to change during the writing process. I just thought my amazing readers that have stuck through all my hiatus deserve a little taste of what is to come. I would love to hear feedback to gauge what you feel about the direction of the story. Keep checking back (especially my profile!) for news and updates about the Cassidy Williams trilogy and other works I have planned! Thanks! I hope you enjoy!**

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**Holding Out for a Hero**

"_Bruce, it's been eight years. For eight years I've been watching you slowly die. I know you love her, and you still love her. She'd want you to live your life, not give up on it."_

"_Cassidy ever thought of taking your own advice. It's been eight years, he isn't getting out of Arkham anytime soon."_

"_Waiting is all I have left…"_

"_Williams, watch the hot head."_

"_Who died and made you Commissioner, Foley? I'm a detective, not a babysitter!"_

"_I'm not commissioner ….yet. When I am, my first act will to send you to Arkham to play cards with that clown of yours."_

"_Is that a threat?"_

"_More like a promise Detective."_

"_Blake, I wish you would just give up. There is nothing for you here. They took it all, both of them, Jack and Tristan. They shattered everything."_

"_You can't keep it bottle up Cassidy. You spent the past eight years trying to save Bruce. Who is going to save you? There is something left, I've seen it. If I have to ask you everyday till I am fifty to give me one chance, I will. Everything can be mended, even you. All I want is a chance."_

"_John…"_

"_You know, I've known you five years …and that's the first time you've called me John."_

"_I thought you retired."_

"_Gotham needs Batman."_

"_I need Bruce Wayne. I'm not losing you Bruce. I've lost everyone else… you aren't going to be satisfied until I've lost you too!"_

"_Blake, is he ...dead?"_

"_Cassidy, I don't know what to tell you."_

"_You haven't lost everyone Cassidy. I promise you, I'll never leave you no matter how many times you turn me down. You'll always have me."_

"_If you're going to work alone, wear a mask."_

"_I don't care if they see my face."_

_"__Not for you," he said as he studied the younger man's arm wrap protectively around his cousin's waist "…for those you care about."_

"_We'll kill you, and have your pretty little girl watch …and then we'll kill her."_

"_Cassie, I love you."_

"_John!"_

"_What? I can take care of myself, but it is hard too when your overprotective cousin moonlights as a superhero and then you have a police officer hanging around you 24/7. I have a few tricks up my sleeves, boys."_

"_Bruce, why do I feel like I'm never going to see you again?"_

"_I don't know what to do. It hurts to breathe. It hurts to eat. I have never felt this lost in my entire life. I just keep going over everything little detail. All the things I should have done. All the things I should have said. How am I supposed to go on? "_

"_I promised him I'd take care of you. I'm going to keep that promise. We'll get through this ...together."_

"_Gordon, you may want to take a look at this."_

"_What is it Rodriguez?"_

"_Arkham Asylum have been recovering patients since Bane released them in his takeover. A few are still missing, and they felt we needed to be aware and on the lookout for one in particular."_

"_Who?"_

"_The Joker."_

_**Coming to a Fan-Fiction site near you this Fall! ;)**  
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	2. Chapter 1: What's Left of Me

**Hello lovlies! Cassidy is BAAAACCCKKK! I apologize for the HUGE delay with this story! Life has kicked into overdrive, and it will only get busier in August. Now that things have settled down for the summer, I am planning on uploading chapters for the story regularly! :) I've had a hard time sitting down and starting the sequel to _Wounds Heal, Scars Remain_ ...but I sat down tonight and knocked out Chapter One much easier than I had thought. Hopefully the sequel will live up to your expectations and will be worth the wait! :)**

**For those that have not read _Wounds Heal, Scars Remain_, it really isn't too necessary to read before hand. The first chapter has a little recap of what happened, but to get full details and to be sure you don't miss anything later on in this story, I would check on the first story!**

**Without further ado, here's Chapter One of Holding Out for a Hero, which has been revised from the earlier chapter post. Looking forward to your reviews/feedback!**

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_Chapter I: What's Left of Me_

Eight years. Had it really been that long ago? Sometimes it was hard for Cassidy to wrap her head around that fact. It always seems like she was living life in slow motion since then, but Gotham continued to move steadily forward. Eight years. Honestly, it seemed like it was just last night that she was in a dark, deserted alleyway, clutching the wounded body for a deranged clown to her chest. Eight years. Cassidy fled to Gotham almost a decade ago, running away from a blown cover, a revengeful mob boss and an abusive fiancée. She left California with battle scars on her heart and face, and she felt they were never going to fade.

Her move to Gotham brought along high hopes and promise for the future. She desperately believed that Gotham would smooth the rocky road her engagement had become. Gotham offered a fresh new start to her career. Gotham offered freedom from being the victim of revenge. The greatest gift Gotham offered was the reunion of family. Cassidy would be in the same city as her beloved, billionaire cousin. All these hopes, dreams and promised were violently flipped upside down thanks to one birthday clown gone terribly wrong.

The Joker. Cassidy still gets chills when she hears those two innocent words, a mixture of horrifying fear and forbidden longing. Those dark, piercing eyes still haunted her when she closed her emerald orbs. He was a beautiful nightmare that she would never truly be able to wake up from. The Joker was her savior and her damnation all wrapped up in purple and green. He had rid her of a fiancée that had once brought her so much joy but only heartbreak and disappoint remained. He had sacrificed his freedom and almost his life to spare Cassidy from her own demise at the hands of a Californian crime lord that hard permanently left his mark on Cassidy's face.

With all the perverse good, the Joker brought a destructive poison in her life. He had damned her simply because her heart was too big. She cared so much about a man that an entire city wanted to watch burn. She had let her feelings slip at his public hearing. Her proclamation of love was forever on record. The city never forgot and a few never forgave. She still gets looks when she passes down the street. She still hears the whispered gossip when she when about her life. She still got the occasionally threat or worst from a citizen that still felt the pain that the Joker left behind.

Her compassion for the Joker had cost her. She was metaphorically just as locked up as he was, chained at her desk at Gotham City Police Department. Despite a detective rank and proven efficiency and talent at her job, very few at the department had her trust or her back. Why should they? How could she love a man that murdered her fiancée in cold blood? How could she care about a monster that took so many lives in this police department alone? Questions that her fellow detectives and officers couldn't begin to understand nor did they want to understand.

Cassidy was usually assigned menial tasks, case files and paperwork that required her to be at her desk more often than not. Commissioner James Gordon was one of the handful at the station that trusted Cassidy emphatically. He would consult her on investigations and would try to steal her away from her desk as much as he could, which was very little. Without his attempts to make her job seem meaningful again, she would have gone insane.

Insane. It was an odd word. A word that Cassidy had grown accustomed to hearing in the last eight years. Many of the citizens that call Gotham home have used that word to describe Cassidy. She couldn't blame them. She was convinced she must be insane as well. Maybe she should be locked up next to the clown down at Arkham. She hadn't step foot at the asylum since that day they locked him up. She wasn't allowed through the gates. The doctors felt it would only be a step back in his treatment. She convinced herself that it was for the best, not only for him but also for her. He was never getting out of that place, and once she accepted that the sooner she could have a normal life.

The only way he was leaving that island was if he escaped, but hey, he already did it once. He could always do it again. Cassidy felt if he were going to escape he would have done it years ago. Even if he did, what would it matter? He was physically incapable of love. He wasn't programmed for that. That part of him was destroyed a lifetime ago. Cassidy tried to save him from himself, but she always knew deep down in a place she didn't want to accept that he was a lost cause. She was too afraid to admit defeat. If she did, it meant that she really was once in love with a stone-cold killer and that there was nothing left to save. Being permanently separated from him could give her a chance at life, a real life. Something she never could have with him. Yet, parts of her could never fully let him go.

Letting go is always the hardest part. It's coming to terms that something you once held so precious is never coming back. It's gone. Dead. Cassidy had gotten her life back on track. At least as normal as it could be after the events that still plagues her. She brought back a routine and normalcy. A much welcome distraction compared to the continuous, heart-wrenching replay when she was alone.

Cassidy witness the large price of living in a time that no longer exists, the toll of trying to hold on to ghosts. It hit too close to home for her. Bruce Wayne, her cousin and the only family she had left, was paying that price. The death of Rachel was the painful final straw. It was the hardest sacrifice he had made as being the vigil of Gotham. Bruce had slowly closed himself off from the world, stumbling around and lost in his world of hurt.

Cassidy and Alfred tried to revive him from his reverie, but nothing truly ever worked. Bruce would put up a front for their sake and would pretend all was right in the world for a while, but he would always slip back into his memories.

Cassidy had moved back into her own apartment after the Joker was locked up in Arkham. She felt Bruce needed his own space to deal with his grief, and she needed some independence. It was just another step towards resurrecting her life to what to was before her failed engagement and before the Joker. Cassidy made a trip to Wayne Manor every day to visit Bruce. She wasn't about to give up on him or let him give up on himself. She was determined to not let him forget he had not lost everything and that he still had people on this earth that loved him dearly.

"Williams… Williams… Williams!"

Cassidy shook her head awake. She had nodded off at her desk. It was late on a Friday afternoon. She had been at the station for over 12 hours today. She had been struggling to keep her eyes open the last few hours. Exhaustion was fighting an epic battle against a constant stream of coffee. Exhaustion was winning.

Once semi-awake, Cassidy saw the tired, kind face of Gordon looking down at her.

"Have you finished that report?" he asked.

"Just finished up a few minutes ago," she yawned.

"Go home," he smiled back at her. "Get some rest. You've earned it."

"Not just yet. I'm waiting for something."

Gordon gave a knowing look and just shook his head.

"More like someone," he said as he walked away. "I'll see you at the benefit tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Cassidy replied motioning him away while rolling her eyes.

Cassidy had almost forgotten about the Wayne Foundation benefit for Harvey Dent Day. Since Bruce had gone into seclusion, Cassidy had become the unofficial Wayne spokesperson. Harvey Dent Day. It was hard for Cassidy to continue to pretend to be so honor and thankful for Dent, not after she learned the truth from Bruce. It was a hard decision, but one the Dark Knight had to make.

Cassidy opened her top desk drawer and pulled out a black hair tie. She pulled her long, auburn hair away from her face. She used her phone's camera to check out her handy work. She gave a small smirk at her reflection.

Before he shut himself off from the world, Bruce had called in a small favor for Cassidy. After the hearing, Cassidy became the center of a media storm. Everyone wanted to know every little detail about her time with the Joker. It was a gold mine. It was what people wanted to hear and the media was going to give the people what they wanted. Cassidy was easily recognizable due to her scars, which was a hot topic of discussion in their own right. Cassidy had stopped feeling the need to hide her scars after her imprisonment with Joker. She came to see her scars as a reminder that she survived the worst the world threw at her. After the trail, that wasn't an option at all.

One look at her face and everyone knew exactly who she was. That brought along a wide mix of emotions. Cassidy had been known to receive a few death threats and even been attack while walking down the street. Bruce took the only measure he knew to do to give his cousin some peace. He did some research and called a few friends in high places. He found one of the best plastic surgeons in the world that was developing a technique to repair scared tissue.

With Bruce's urging for her safety, Cassidy had the procedure done. Though the surgery did not completely remove the scarring on her face, it did help minimize their visibility. With a little makeup, the scars were almost invisible, but only an almost. The scars were still present and ever a reminder to Cassidy, but at least she could go to the grocery store without having threats thrown at her because of her association with the Joker.

Cassidy set her phone back down on her desk. It was after 5 p.m. She drummed her fingers on her desk. He was late. She would never admit it out loud to anyone, but when he wasn't back from patrol on time, she'd always worried just a bit. Every time the door opened in the holding room, she'd snap her head around expecting to he smirking back at her. She was disappointed each time.

"Waiting for someone?"

Cassidy jumped at the sound and turned back to the front of her desk to the sounds of snickering.

"Damn it, Blake! Not funny."

"Always be on your toes, Williams," said Officer John Blake.

John Blake joined Gotham PD about five years ago. He instantly took a liking to Cassidy. Cassidy would be lying if she said he wasn't attractive. He was tall, muscular and a jaw line to die for. Not to mention chocolate brown eyes that could make you melt. The duo had a love-hate relationship. They started off rocky on his first day. His persistent attempts to woo her tested her patience, and still irritated her now and then, but her day wouldn't be complete without Blake's daily visit to her desk.

Blake and Cassidy had a work friendship, but that was all it was: a work friendship. John wanted more since day one, and he never gave up on that. Cassidy wouldn't allow it. She couldn't allow it.

It wasn't that he was a bad guy. He was a great guy actually. She wasn't going to bring him into her world of mob bosses, murder and demonic clowns. Not to mention Cassidy also still had the bitter taste in her mouth from the last time she mixed business with pleasure.

"You scared me. Happy now?"

"Not quite, Williams."

Per routine, Blake sat on the corner of her desk and overdramatically checked his watch.

"Let's see now. Would you believe that? It's five o'clock on Friday. It's time for my favorite part of the week."

"Still with this? You really need to get out more, Blake."

"That's what I've been trying to do. Miss Williams, like every Friday for the last five years, I will gladly make myself a fool for you. Dinner and a movie tonight, my treat?"

Cassidy gave a bittersweet smile. It was the same routine. Every Friday. 5 p.m. He'd asked her out. She'd say no. The first hundred times, Cassidy wanted to knock him upside the head. Now it got a little harder to say no each time.

A part of her wanted to say yes, but she couldn't. Not counting she already had a previous engagement this evening, but she didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve anyone. She couldn't really love him or any man. Tristan bloodied and bruised her idea of true love and what was left of her heart with locked up in Arkham. She was better off alone. It was her self-punishment for loving a criminal. She didn't deserve to be happy. He was also the closet thing to a friend she had, and she didn't want to risk that either. So their love-hate battle continued.

"Hate to break your heart kid, but the Wayne Foundation has already bought my dinner tonight. Maybe Miss Walker can fill in," Cassidy said while motioning to the blonde at the desk beside them.

Ashley Walker joined the station a few months ago, and her crush on Blake was more than obvious. Cassidy fondly referred to Ashley as Barbie cop. Blonde, blue-eyes, and perfect figure. It looked like she should be on a magazine cover and not in the station. Well judging by her work experience, maybe she should be on a magazine cover. Walker had been watching Cassidy and John's exchange with interests, her eyes never leaving Blake. She was practically drooling. Cassidy had to stifle a laugh when Blake looked over at Ashley and quickly back, a look of disgust on his face. Ashley attempts to seduce Blake were way to obvious and forward.

Cassidy rose from her chair and slipped on her brown leather jacket.

"Chin up, Blake! There's always next week," she joked, giving him a quick peck on the cheek and patted his cheek where she left the kiss.

"Aww, you're killing me!" he said, placing his hand over his heart.

"You'll live," Cassidy said with a smirk, not even turning around to give him a fleeting look.

Blake watched her go from his perch on her desk, shaking his head and wondering what it was going take to get his shot.


	3. Chapter 2: Everybody Hurts

**Good evening my favorite readers! It's time for newest chapter of _Holding Out for a Hero. _I would like to thank everyone that read and reviewed the last chapter. Your encouraging words are what keep me coming back with new material. I know the first few chapters are a little slow, but I promise it will be picking up shortly! I hope you all enjoy the newest chapter and be on the lookout for an update next week.**

**Happy Reading! I would love to see a review from y'all! - trs0010**

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_Chapter II: Everybody Hurts_

The drive from Gotham Police Department to Wayne Manor was a short one. One that Cassidy was accustomed to making daily. Today, unfortunately, the drive was one for business and not pleasure. It was Harvey Dent Day. The day all of Gotham honored the late district attorney who cleaned up Gotham's Street. Cassidy thought of the day as the biggest joke of a holiday. If Gordon hadn't brought it up at the station, the occasion would have completely slipped her mind.

As the years since Rachel's death passed, Bruce slipped farther and farther into his solitude. The more of a recluse Bruce became, Cassidy was forced into the spotlight. Her mother was a Wayne. Wayne blood flowed through Cassidy. She was the only remaining member of the Wayne family outside of Bruce. With him relinquishing his role of spokesperson, she had to step up to the plate.

The Wayne Foundation was a big contributor in honoring the late DA turned rogue villain. Only a selected handful knew the truth about who actually held Gordon's family hostage that night and who actually went of a cop-slaughtering rampage. Cassidy was one of the few. She had to initially pry the truth from Bruce. When the rumors and accusations first began to spread about Batman, Cassidy knew it could not be remotely true. She knew Bruce better than anyone. She knew that wasn't in his character.

Taking the metaphorical bullet so Dent's name remained untarnished and Gotham's street remained clean, that had Bruce Wayne written all over it. It was a prime example of how life wasn't fair. Gotham would never know the truth. Dent would remain the white knight that saved Gotham from itself. Batman would be a vigilante that twisted his version of the law to cause destruction. It sickened Cassidy to play along with the charade, but she had no choice. She had too for Bruce's sake to honor his sacrifice. Cassidy was always the first to jump to Batman's defense if anyone dared to speak harshly of the Caped Crusader in her presence.

Cassidy drove her black SUV up the long, winding driveway of Wayne Manor. She parked inside the garage among Bruce's vast collection. Her SUV looked mundane against the array of expensive and rare sports cars and motorcycles that Bruce owned, but with Gotham's finest citizens about to swarm Wayne Manor for dinner in a few hours, she knew her bulky car needed to be out of the way.

Cassidy tiredly climbed out of the vehicle and entered the giant house, if you could call something so massive a house, through the door that connected the garage to the kitchen.

The kitchen was alive with action. Cooks were frantically mixing, chopping and baking meals for the hundreds of guests about to arrive. Maids were preparing glasses, plates and silverware. As Cassidy made her way to the foyer, the chaos only continued. Hired help was running in and out of the house setting up tables, chairs and tents along with decorations. Standing on the stairs with a bird's eye view and barking orders like a general marching into war was Alfred.

"Is everything ship-shape for tonight, Alf?"

"If these bloody idiots listen… HEY! That goes on the lawn next to the buffet tables. Miss Williams, your dress for the evening is hanging in your room. Has the wine been set out to chill yet?"

Cassidy couldn't help but giggle as Alfred went from ordering the hired help to addressing her without breaking a stride. He was a master at planning events at Wayne Manor. It was reminiscent to Wayne Manor in its prime back when Cassidy and Bruce were children. She could scarcely remember those days now. Despite all the running and shouting, Cassidy knew that Alfred would have everything running flawlessly that evening.

"I guess it is safe to assume Bruce will not be making an appearance tonight."

Alfred gave s sad smile. Bruce's retreat from the world hurt Alfred most of all. Alfred had a hand in raising Bruce since he was born. To see the young man so broken was more pain than Alfred could bear.

"I believe you would have better luck in resurrecting Marilyn Monroe and having her attend tonight than Master Wayne."

"I'm afraid she'd be more lively. Where is he?" Cassidy asked.

She wanted to pay him a quick visit before she began her task of hostess.

"He is in the study, love."

Alfred placed a hand on her should much like a father would. He knew the pain he felt at watching Bruce waste away was a shared pain. The two had partnered together to combat Bruce's depression, but it seemed they were losing the war.

As Cassidy continued to ascend the stairs, it was like slipping into another world. The buzz and excitement from the dinner preparations was fading away. It was being replaced by silence and emptiness, like the place had not been disturbed for centuries. Cassidy slowly crept to the end of the hallway, almost afraid to make too much noise as to disturbed the silence.

The door to the study was halfway opened. She peaked her head inside and her heart broke like it did every single time she gazed upon what was left of Bruce Wayne.

Bruce was staring out the window upon the frantic workers below. His hair was shaggy and in desperate need of a cut. He was sporting a beard to match. He long since lost the want to keep up his immaculate appearance. Who did he have to impress?

He was dressed in plain, ragged clothes, a far stretch from the thousand-dollar suits that Gotham was accustomed to him wearing. He was leaning heavily on a cane. It was the only way he could maneuver around now. The toll of being Batman was a hefty one. It was hard to picture the man before her was once the Dark Knight.

"Bruce?" she whispered.

She didn't want to disturb him. He didn't turn to face her. He continued to gaze upon the grounds of Wayne Manor.

"I watched you drive up. I figured you would be up here sooner or later."

Cassidy walked over to the desk and sat on top of it, similar to how Blake was earlier in the day.

"Are we expecting a large crowd?" He asked.

"A few hundred the last time I check. It should be a big turn out. It would be great if you made a quick appearance tonight. It would do you a world of good. Everyone would love to see you, Bruce."

"There is no one down there I would like to see."

"Well the same goes for me, but I have no choice in the matter," she replied. "Bruce, you can't keep punishing yourself. It wasn't your fault."

"I could have saved her."

"No, Bruce. You couldn't have saved her. You are human. Yes, a very exceptional human, but still human. You can't save everyone. She knew that better than anyone."

Bruce remained deathly silent. Cassidy let out a sigh of frustration, not even attempting to hide it. She had that same conversation a thousand times, and it always ended with the same result. Sometimes she just wanted to beat the life back into him. Cassidy knew all about self-punishment. She had her own form and was still paying for her sins, but Bruce was taking it to an extreme.

"Bruce, it has been eight years. I've been watching you slowly die a little more every day. I know you loved her. I know you still love, but she would want you to live your life. She wouldn't want this Bruce. She wouldn't want you to give up."

"Cassidy, have you ever thought to take your own advice? It's been eight years. He isn't getting out of that straight-jacket any time soon," he spat.

Bruce's words cut Cassidy like a knife. He never mentioned the Joker since the day the clown was locked up in Arkham. To hear Bruce speak that name was a sucker punch to Cassidy's heart.

"Waiting is all I have left. He's not dead. She is."

"She'd still be alive if it wasn't for him," he spoke, while turning around to finally face his younger cousin.

He didn't yell the words. He didn't have too. His hurt and anger were all too evident. It was the moment Cassidy had been waiting for. It had been bubbling under the surface for years now. The day Bruce would turn on her for loving the man who took everything away from him.

"Just say it. We both know you're dying too!" she yelled.

She stood up and got a close to eye-level as she could with Bruce.

"You never forgave me for loving him. When you look at me, all you see is the Joker. I'm such a huge, fucking disappointment. Isn't that right? Do you think it is easy for me? Do you think it doesn't kill me? I would give anything to have those feeling disappear and never to have reached the surface. I would trade placed with Rachel in a heartbeat if it meant I didn't have to see you like this! Ever damn time I see you; it is like this huge wall of guilt just flattens me. I let you down in the worst way, and I will never, ever let myself forget that."

The room fell heavy with silence for several minutes. Cassidy hadn't notice that her voice had raised several volumes or that hot tears were spilling form her eyes.

"Damn it, Bruce! Just yell at me. Kick me out. Give me something!"

Bruce just turned back and return to his vigil at the window. If possible, Cassidy's heart shattered a little more. Bruce silence said it all. What he didn't say and what he didn't do crumpled Cassidy in two. She left the study with the tears steadily falling and retreated to her former room to prepare her fake smile for the evening. She still had to attend regardless of her pain. She didn't have the same luxury as Bruce.

Bruce turned his head slightly to see he was once again alone. None of what Cassidy said rang true to him. He never blamed her for anything. It was never her fault. The blame all rested with the Joker. He was the one that twisted her emotions and mind.

Bruce knew he should have kicked into "big brother" mode, but he just couldn't muster it, not today. He turned away because he couldn't look her in the eyes. He had failed her too.

She was struggling with so much trying to readjust to life after all she had been through. He just shut her out like the rest of them. She was family. The only blood-family he had left, and he kicked her out of his life like a stray dog. She kept trying and trying to come back into his life, trying and trying to rescue him from himself. He didn't deserve her love. Maybe it was best to hurt her. Maybe now she would move on and stop trying to save a ghost.


End file.
